INVESTING IN OUR INDUSTRY


Bildi I


Building th Ft


t takes a village. This timeless adage, used to describe the impor- tance of having a community of


people to contribute to the healthy development of a child, is also uniquely applicable in the discussion of how best to nurture, develop and grow the next generation of construction workforce – one that will sustain an industry that is critical to California’s success today and in the future. Build California, a program of the


501(c)3 non-profit AGC Construction Education Foundation (AGC CEF), has made numerous strides over the last several years growing the construction


16


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024


the Future: H


How Build CalBildClifornia and Industry Collaboration Are Shaping the


Next Generation of Construction Leaders BY CAROL EATON


workforce pipeline. A major factor driving this success has been its alliance with a diverse array of industry partners, educa- tors, and particularly, member companies and their passionate professionals who support and champion these efforts. Tree educators who recently partic-


ipated in a Build California Ambassador Forum offered insight into the ways they are helping grow the construction workforce through their work at two California high schools and a construc- tion pre-apprenticeship program. Tey included Lamar Hanger, former union carpenter and construction instructor at Fontana High School in Southern Cali-


fornia; Joel Osuna, construction pathway instructor at Fresno High School in the Central Valley; and Juanita Douglas, senior manager of construction and labor relations at Rising Sun Center for Opportunity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hanger, now in his fourth year teach-


ing construction and carpentry skills to students at Fontana High, said that he finds it satisfying to introduce his students to the many opportunities they have to work in a variety of well-paying construc- tion jobs – and then to see them actively embrace these career opportunities after they graduate.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28